Priti Patel MP with Martin Chapman CEO of Colte Partnership (left) and Ed Garratt, Chief Executive of NHS Suffolk & North East Essex Integrated Care Board, during their meeting on 10th March 2023.
Witham MP meets Suffolk and North-East Essex ICB Chief Executive
On Friday 10th March 2023, Priti Patel MP met with local representatives from the health sector, including the Chief Executive of Suffolk and North East Essex ICB (SNEE) Dr Ed Garratt, Martin Chapman CEO of the COLTE Partnership and Dr Mark Roberts, lead GP partner at Tiptree Medical Centre, to discuss the local healthcare situation in north east Essex.
During their productive discussion, held at Colte Partnership’s offices in Feering, a number of issues relating to local healthcare services were covered, including GP provision in Tiptree and the challenges experienced by the surgery. In their discussions, Priti stressed the need to ensure that the surgery delivers for the needs of the local population and asked for a future primary care plan for Tiptree. Part of the plans for the future involves relocation of admin services to the central COLTE office, which will help free up space at Tiptree Medical Centre for direct patient care. Such a move could potentially see up to 30% more space at the surgery which would be significant. An update was also provided on the work that has been undertaken and is currently ongoing to improve telephony systems for the surgery, when patients contact to book an appointment, an issue which Priti had previously raised following concerns from constituents.
Priti also had a productive discussion with Dr Garratt about the successful community service work the ICB is doing to reduce delayed discharges since the Government’s introduction of the discharge fund in October 2022. SNEE has seen a significant reduction in delayed discharges, with all long stays having reduced since April 2022, with a 7+ day delay reducing by 3.1%; 14 + days reduced by 1.8% and 21+ days reduced by 1.1% despite the rise in healthcare demands.
Following the meeting, Priti said: “I am glad to have met everyone on Friday for what was a very useful and interesting discussion of the local healthcare landscape in north east Essex, and the innovation behind the COLTE Partnership’s way of operating. I know that a number of constituent’s have raised concerns regarding access at Tiptree Medical Centre, which has been experiencing some real issues with recruitment and local healthcare provision for its patients, and I am pleased to see that real efforts are underway to improve the surgery and I will continue monitoring developments closely.
“It was also good to meet Ed and his team to discuss the work of the ICB and I was pleased to hear first-hand of the notable progress they have made, particularly when it comes to the reduction in delayed discharges as well as the incredibly successful vaccine rollout over the past few years.
“The Government established a £500 million Adult Social Care Discharge Fund in October 2022 to reduce delayed discharge, and we can see the clear progress that has been achieved by SNEE in tackling this important issue. A further £600 million will be distributed in 2023-24 and £1 billion in 2024-25 through the Better Care Fund to get people out of hospital on time and into care settings, freeing up precious NHS beds for those who really need them and I look forward to seeing the impact this will have on health services across Essex.”